CONGRATULATIONS to the 2009 Matthew Myers Memorial Fund Scholarship recipients: Six Cal Poly Pomona students will receive $500 each.

Mark Johnson Jr. - My name is Mark Johnson and I am a third-year mechanical engineering student at the California Polytechnic University of Pomona. I am a full-time student and am currently enrolled in two mechanical engineering classes and a math class. During the days that I am not at school I work as a motorcycle mechanic. After I graduate I plan to help design new models of motorcycles for a company such as Honda or Yamaha.

Corey McClelland - I’m a second-year graphic design major at Cal Poly Pomona. I’m involved with Campus Crusade for Christ on campus and have a large community of friends because of it. I’ve recently been inspired by the quote, “Every brick wall is there to keep the people who don’t want it bad enough out.” With that mindset, I feel that I can do anything with enough hard work. I plan on getting an internship with Walt Disney Imagineering in the coming year and from the internship, gaining a career with them. Every day is an opportunity to get me closer to my goals.

Cecilia Ortiz - My name is Cecilia Lizbeth Ortiz, but I go by Liz because my mother’s name is also Cecilia which can get a little confusing at times and we don’t know who somebody is referring to. My father is Alonso Ortiz and as both my parents, I was born in the city of La Piedad , in the state of Michoacan, in Mexico . When I was eleven months old, my parents and I migrated to the United States in hopes of a better life.
My childhood lies in the city of Pico Rivera , California . Here, I attended elementary, middle and part of high school. I think the hardest part of my childhood was having to learn English, as both my parents raised me speaking Spanish. This part of my academic life was filled with confusion because my parents thought it was best for me to go straight into an all English class in the third grade, when all I had ever known was nothing but Spanish. Looking back it was the best thing for me. I do not recall making friends as something hard because even though there was a language barrier between my best friend and I, during that time, we still had a lot of fun because I have always been an easy person to get along with and have always enjoyed helping others.
The first time I ever got involved in volunteering was at the early age of eight or nine years old, in third grade. Even though I was having a hard time learning a new language, my teachers nominated me to be a tutor to other students in Spanish literature. I remember helping other students who were also having a hard time in their academic life but yet, enjoying it so much.
In middle school, a friend of mine and I would stay after school help a teacher of ours in the classroom mostly by shelving books around the class. Middle school was probably the most fun I had ever had in school as I had a lot of friends and I was now able to communicate and socialize in another language. During the summers, another friend and would also volunteer to help out elementary teachers. Since we were not attending summer school ourselves and had all summer open, we decided that it would be better to volunteer our time and help out others. The children got really attached to us, just as we got attached to them and ever since then my passion for helping others and volunteering has grown.
My family and I moved to Fontana , California when I was fourteen; right before entering high school. This was another tough time for me because it seemed as if I was leaving my whole life behind to move to a different home, different area, different school and not knowing anybody was the hardest. It didn’t take me long to adapt, and once I did, I started volunteering again with high school teachers and during my summers too.
Once coming to Cal Poly Pomona, I realized that my whole life had changed and everything relied upon me. At first, this seemed like a lot of responsibility just on me, but I love it because it gives me a sense of power, freedom and ability to change the world. I have continued to be involved on campus and in the community. Every day I learn something new and it improves me as a person, which enables me as well help other people around me. I am truly privileged to have the opportunity to pursue my dream of helping others, and I know by majoring in psychology I have taken the first step, as well as by all my volunteer work.
Life’s journeys are not always easy or fun but you have to learn to love everything that happens because things always happen for a reason.

Emilia Ospina - My name is Emilia Ospina, a 21 year old student at Cal Poly Pomona. I was born in Pomona but raised in Upland , California . My parents lived in Bogota , Colombia S.A. and moved to the United States in order to pursue the "American Dream" and give their future children everything they did not have. I am the middle child of three and the only girl. My goal in life is to become an Elementary School teacher. In order to pursue this dream I enrolled into Mount San Antonio College right after High School graduation and have now transferred to Cal Poly Pomona.This also makes me a first generation college student. Little by little I am reaching my goal. You'd be surprised to know that I am not your average 21 year-old. I have actually had many obstacles thrown at me in my life that may have stopped other students from pursuing their career goal, however these obstacles made me a stronger person and made me not want to give up. When I was 16 my mother was diagnosed with cancer. Since day one I made her the promise that I would never give up, no matter what happened, and that I would push my little brother forward. I then took the role of not only a daughter and sister but that of a mother to my sibling. Throughout those tough five years I was also able to manage school. During my first quarter at Cal Poly Pomona, which was Spring '09, my mother's cancer went to an extreme which caused her to pass away. It was a hard time in my life and I could have easily given up school, but I remembered the promise I had made to my mom and continued my quarter and passed all my classes with A's and B's. I am now a Junior at Cal Poly Pomona fighting hard and continuing to pursue my goal as a teacher. Obstacles keep appearing but my will and dedication to my studies have me where I am today.

William Pfeffer - My name is William Pfeffer. I am a fith-year construction engineering technology student. I am the Senator-At-Large for the Education Interest Council and the Treasure for Construction Engineering Management Association. I am also an active member and student leader of Campus Crusade for Christ. I spent the summer in Korea and would like to work there after I graduate. The food was really good. And I think Jesus is really cool.

Davinah Simmons - Davinah Simmons is a liberal studies major/Spanish minor who will be graduating in June 2010. Her plans after that are to go on to graduate school to study Educational Leadership with an emphasis in Student Affairs. Eventually, she hopes to receive her doctorate in the Multicultural and Ethnic Studies and become a professor.

2007-08 Recipients

• Melissa Fowler
• Sabrina Roberts
• Lanre Oguntibeju
• Kyle Krause
• Julian Black
• Corey McClelland

2006-07 Recipients

• Paulina Alcaraz
• Annette Hernandez
• Daniel Peraza
• Holly Walker
• Eva Sanchez
• Hovik Mekhijan

Applicant Criteria

• Community Involvement
• Morally and Religiously Motivated
• Available to all majors
• Incoming freshman should have at least a 3.0 GPA
• College level GPA 2.75 or above

*Applicants should write a cover letter describing themselves and their direction in education supplemented with character references from organizations, schools, people, etc. All applicants should include a short paragraph on how their life goals can be enhanced through education and how this award can help.